The members of the committees include representatives of Civil Defense and Jeddah governorate apart from other government departments. Committees are making field studies by visiting various parts of the city with special focus on southeast Jeddah, which bore the brunt of the floods.

The losses in terms of men and material in the flash floods were minimal, thanks to early warning issued by the weather office, according to an official of the electricity company.

“The preparedness of technical teams to face emergency situations enabled the company to reduce the damages to a minimum despite the heavy downpours and accompanying flash floods. We learned much from our experience last year,” head of the Saudi Electric Co., Western Region, Abdul Mueen Al-Sheikh told Arab News, referring to the company’s losses in Nov. 25, 2009 floods.

Al-Sheikh added that the old equipment in locations where the floods were likely to occur were replaced with new ones that would withstand the ravages of weather.

The workers were also trained to handle emergency situations including rapid repairs, he said.

“Supply interruptions to subscribers were limited and were instantly repaired in a few hours in 99 percent of the cases,” Al-Sheikh said, adding that most of the rains falling during daytime was another factor that reduced the losses.

Some losses were also reported from Khulais, Al-Leeth, Rabigh and Makkah, he said.

At least 63 families affected by the rains have been provided shelter by the order of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, said an official of Civil Defense on Saturday.

The houses of these families in Umm Al-Khayr in Quwaiza district were heavily damaged, said Director of Jeddah Civil Defense Brig. Abdullah Jeddawi.

A meeting of various departments to deal with the situation in flood-hit districts was to be held later Saturday as instructed by Prince Khaled. “Solution to the issues faced by the Umm Al-Khayr neighborhood, which was heavily affected by the flash floods, would be found,” said Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras.

“The main streets where rain water was collected have been drained and now the focus is on inner districts.”

Health workers have beefed up insecticide spraying in districts where large pools of stagnant water are still remaining as a precaution against diseases.

Meanwhile, 30 Boy Scouts will be honored for their participation in search operations for missing men in flash floods in Al-Leeth, said Abdullah Al-Basrawi, supervisor of the Boy Scouts in the Al-Leeth education department.

With the finding of the fifth missing man in Al-Leeth, Civil Defense called off its search operations, according to Civil Defense Director Col. Turki Al-Harthy.

“Since Thursday Civil Defense teams in the city have been searching for five missing men. They found four Saudis dead and one Bangladeshi alive. Boy Scouts of local schools and civilians participated in the operations,” Al-Harthy said.

Professor of economics at the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah Khaled Al-Bassam told Arab News the losses caused by the two days of rain in Jeddah could not be estimated at the present stage. Al-Bassam added that the Civil Defense was currently assessing the losses in different areas and publication of a final report would take some time.

“Last year when the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry asked me to assess the losses caused by the flood tragedy I told its officials that an exact and comprehensive assessment could not be made without making a detailed study including the losses in lives, properties and infrastructures,” he said.

The academic also stressed the need to establish special research centers to make studies on losses caused by calamities as done in developed countries.